


Blind

by PhoenixAccio



Category: Hunt Down The Freeman (Video Game)
Genre: Blindness, Brain Damage, Deaf Character, Disability, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Morse Code, Panic Attacks, i guess technically a sickfic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27148436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixAccio/pseuds/PhoenixAccio
Summary: Mitch relies a lot on his sight to navigate the world, after Black Mesa. When you're so dependent on vision to understand anything happening to you and are already missing one eye, losing the other, even temporarily, is terrifying.
Relationships: Mitchell Shephard/Nick (Hunt Down The Freeman)
Kudos: 3





	Blind

After the Incident, they'd all been gradually discovering exactly what the crowbar had done to Mitch. He was missing his eye, of course, that much was obvious. The rest, the broken nose and the brain damage and all of the pain took longer. When Mitch had first mentioned the vertigo, Nick had honestly assumed it was just the brain damage manifesting in another unexpected way. By the time things had calmed down enough to realize that Mitch's constant "what?"s weren't just dissociation, things started to come together. 

It was ironic, honestly, that when Nick had brought up to Mitch that he might have gone partially deaf, the man had replied with a "what did you say?" 

Mitch, fortunately, already knew how to sign, although he still refused to reveal how he'd learned. Nick knew a little, and enough to ask for a sign when he wasn't sure, and Adam was picking it up quickly though, so it was fine, Nick figured. 

The first time Mitch had gotten a migrane on the Avalon Vale, he had had such a bad panic attack when the aura had obscured his remaining vision that Nick had legitimately thought Mitch was dying at first. 

"Mitch? Mitchell, what's happening?" Nick had asked, mindset shifting into the professionalism that tended to come with his panic. 

Mitch didn't reply, just clawed at his face, gasping frantically. Nick sighed and began rubbing Mitch's back gently, giving him a moment to calm down enough to speak. 

"I'm--" Mitch gasped after a moment, eyes wide and glassy. "I can't-- I can't see, Nick, I can't--" 

Mitch cut himself off again, then, continuing to hyperventilate as he repeatedly squeezed his eye shut and opened it again, seemingly hoping it would fix whatever was wrong. 

"Mitch, look at me," Nick said, guiding Mitch's face gently with his hand. "Hey, let me see your eye." 

Nick was aware he was mostly speaking for his own sake, since he knew Mitch couldn't understand much of what he was saying at the best of times, and if he really was blind right now he wouldn't be able to lipread either. Gently and deliberately, Nick moved Mitch's hand from his eye to get a better look, attempting to telegraph his movements as much as possible so as not to scare his partner. Carefully, Nick braces his hand by Mitch's eyesocket, attempting to inducate to Mitch that he open the currently shut eye. Mitch got the message, and his eye fluttered open to allow Nick to get a look. Nick frowned. It looked unharmed. He was just about to open his mouth to ask Mitch a question when he realized it would likely do no good. Instead, Nick moved his hand down to tap Mitch on the wrist. 

They had both learned morse as part of their military training, and when Nick tapped out the pattern of dots and dashes on Mitch's arm to spell out his name, It became clear this wasn't one of the things the brain damage had made Mitch forget. 

"You read me?" Nick tapped out. 

Mitch nodded frantically, letting out a quick verbal "yes!" 

Nick nodded. 

"What can you see?" Nick asked, getting straight to the point. "Really nothing, or just a little bit?" 

"'s botchy," Mitch choked out. "Like. Wiggly lines." 

Nick nodded, frowning. 

"Wait, do you have a headache?" he tapped. 

Mitch nodded. "Usually do though," he added defensively. 

"Mitch, I think you're having a migrane," Nick relayed to Mitch upon realizing the truth. 

"A headache's making me b--" Mitch stumbled over the word, and Nick moved on. 

"You're having an aura, that's normal. Your vision will be back, Mitch, it's okay." 

With those words, Mitch seemed relieved, collapsing a little in his seat. 

"Come on," Nick tapped out. "I'll take you to your room so you can rest." 

Mitch nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and allowed Nick to intertwine their fingers as Mitch was guided down the hall. 

When they reached Mitchell's room, Nick helped him lay down on the bed, before leaning over to tap out another message on Mitch's shoulder. 

"I'm going to get you some water and painkillers. I'll be right back." 

Mitch nodded, eyes shut with a pained expression on his face. He didn't seem very happy about Nick leaving, but Nick knew they'd both feel better if Mitch had some water and some asprin in him. He stroked Mitch's shoulder reassuringly, and pulled away to grab Mitch's pain meds and water bottle from the dresser. Carefully, he spilled out the appropriate dosage of pills into his palm, closed the container, and made his way back to Mitch's side, sitting beside him on the bed. 

Mitch made a soft little gasp when he felt the mattress shift, not expecting the sudden movement, but didn't panic, mumbling, "Nick," after a moment. 

Nick took Mitch's hand from where it was curled against his chest. He tapped out a quick 'hello' in reply, then brushed his thumb across Mitch's palm in a way he hoped was soothing. After a moment, he pressed the pills into Mitch's hand, one at a time so Mitch would feel what they were. Nick made sure to put the Midol and the two ibuprofen tablets broad sides down to make them recognizable, before folding Mitch's hand around them. 

Fortunately, Mitch got the idea. Once he got the painkillers into his mouth, Nick brought the water to his scarred lips and helped Mitch to drink, wiping Mitch's chin with a sleeve when a bit of the water inevitably escaped through the hole where Mitch was missing some lip, and through the looseness of Mitch's mouth where his motor skills couldn't quite manage the angle. Mitch opened his mouth to show he'd taken the pills, though, so Nick capped the water and placed it on the bedside table, making a note to himself to bring a few of the straws they kept in the kitchen into Mitchell's bedroom for next time. 

Nick smiled softly down at Mitch, although he knew the man couldn't see him, and ran his fingers through Mitchell's hair in a way he knew Mitch liked. 

Mitch pushed up into Nick's hand despite the pain, and Nick smiled. With his free hand, he tapped, "let me lie down," then pulled both hands away to get himself onto the bed beside Mitch, ignoring the way it made his knees twinge. Once he was in bed behind Mitchell, Nick tapped Mitch an 'okay', prompting Mitch to roll over to face Nick with a pained noise. 

Nick put a hand in Mitchell's hair again, petting gently through it, and placed his other hand on Mitch's collar bone should he need to tell Mitch anything. Mitch looked supremely relaxed with Nick's hand in his hair, in stark contrast to his earlier panic, and it made Nick feel warm. The other man was leaning into the contact, looking like he'd be purring were he capable of such a thing. Nick pressed his forehead gently against Mitch's, and overwhelmed with the intimacy of the moment, tapped out a gentle "I love you," againt his partner's chest. 

"Love you too," replied Mitch, and it was the most coherent he'd been since this whole ordeal had begun. 

* 

Some time later, Nick lay awake in the dark, tucked against Mitch on the bed with one arm at Mitch's chest and the other curled up against his own. Nick could hear Mitch breathing, louder than it used to be from the deviated septum they had no real way of fixing, and although it was a reminder of what had happened to Mitch at Black Mesa, the sound reassured Nick that Mitch was still alive at all. Mitch has fallen asleep some time ago, the painkillers having kicked in, and with the warm weight of his partner right next to him, Nick was close to sleep himself. This wasn't likely to be the last time something like this happened, but he knew how to handle it now, so Nick felt a little more prepared. Closing his eyes, Nick pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of Mitch's jaw, and let himself finally drift off. 

The next morning, Mitch's vision was back, and Mitch, though shaken, was back to his usual self. Nick kissed him good morning, and they walked together to the mess hall to eat breakfast before the day's work began. Adam eventually arrived to pull Mitch away for some nebulously important task, and as Nick passed the kitchen on his way to complete his own work, he made sure to grab some straws.


End file.
